Tamworth Regional Council approves modified development plans for Organic Waste Recycling Facility

Tamworth Regional Council received 22 objections to the proposed organic recycling facility slated for 284 Gidley Appleby Road, with residents citing odour, contaminated water run off and biofiltering as red flags.

Modified plans were given the tick of approval from council on Tuesday, with mayor Russell Webb confident the alterations would appease any concerns.

"We've received quite a number of letters in objection, those letters have been answered and all those concerns have been addressed," Cr Webb said.

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The modified plans include changes to the size of the biofilter, installing an impermeable hardstand pad to decrease contamination, and changes to the height of the composting building, staff areas and the equipment storage shed.

The facility will be used to recycle waste from the Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) program.

When discussing the new plans at the meeting on Tuesday, councillor Steve Mears said although he supported the "exciting project" which "should bring employment" he was concerned about water contamination and lingering odours on surrounding properties.

"We always talk about receptors, but those receptors are people and this has potential to affect 150 people in that vicinity," he said.

"When we talk about receptors I'd like to see us talk about people in that box."

Cr Helen Tickle said the community is ready to up the ante when it comes to recycling.

"We have to try and eliminate waste and the amount of food waste in this country, it's unacceptable," she said.

"This is a huge project and will mean so much to our community."

With state-wide organic recycling laws to come into effect in 2030, Cr Webb said council was "ahead of the game" now that the plans had been approved.

But council will be calling on the state government to help foot the bill for the "very expensive" project.

"We will be seeking a lot more than the $3 million they've already been able to find for us to get the planning up and going," he said.

"This is something they want us to do, it's something we want to do.

"So we need to do this in a partnership."

Cr Webb said he would prefer not to put a timeline on the project "at this point in time".

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